It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes
by okcat1
Summary: Okay, here's the pitch: Free! AU in which everything's the same, but it takes place after school and Rin's got a thing for the cute pizza guy. How 'bout it? Rated M for language. Rin x Haru, Makoto x Sousuke, possibly some Reigisa, Momotori, and Momogou.
1. Now Hurry Up You Rotten Fish

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 1

Haruka Nanase was scouted by a college to swim after he graduated high school and offered a full scholarship. Of course, his long term goal was to make it to the Olympics, but he wanted to focus on his classes as well so that he would have a backup plan. Just in case swimming didn't work out. He was currently studding culinary arts. His new training schedule gave him a day off from swim practice a week, he often made and practiced dishes then. His class was quite small compared the size of his classes in high school. He liked the professor in charge of his culinary class very much, but never really had the chance to speak with him. His professor approached him one day and explained to Haru his concerns.

"Haruka, you are one of the top in the class. I'd like to see you step outside of your comfort zone, though. You have only worked on traditional Japanese dishes and plenty of recipes using seafood or fish since I've had you as a student at the beginning of the semester." Haru would have said something, but he wasn't the best with words. The professor saw the look in Haru's vacant eyes and continued, "As your professor, everything I suggest should be in your best interest. There's a pizzeria a few blocks down with an internship position open. If you had any intention to pursue a major in this class, you need to have at least six months of internship in a local restaurant or business. I strongly encourage you to look into it."

Haru took the business card his teacher help in front of him slowly, trying to process the idea. All Haru wanted to do was swim, but it couldn't hurt to check it out, right? So, Haru nodded and grabbed his bag before leaving the class. Normally he'd head straight to the pool to get a few practice laps in, but today he thought he'd take a detour.

-  
>One Year Later : The First Semester of Sophomore Year<br>-

Rin Matsuoka was not interested in the slightest bit at the idea of school. He was attending a college solely to swim, rented a first floor apartment. He switched schools this semester, because he heard that the relay team here was phenomenal; he had to be a part of it. He also liked the coach better and was informed he didn't have to take as many classes as his previous school. There was no doubt in his mind that this school would be better than his old one. He could focus one hundred percent on his swimming and making it to the Olympics. To be honest though, the Olympics is a long way to go from high school competitions. Was his dream actually ever achievable?

He woke up, his long hair a long mess. His red eyes barely open he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He checked his texts and ate before he left. The school was about a mile from his apartment, so he vowed to walk as much as he could. No need to pull out a bike or anything to go a mile down the road. Not many people had cars around anyway, it was a pretty large city. As Rin got on campus he evaluated his schedule. He actually had a number of classes that day. It's not that Rin didn't like school, or didn't want to go to class. He actually thoroughly enjoyed studying, especially English, it reminded him of his days in Australia. He just didn't want to take any time away he could be swimming for classes and studying.

-  
>Later that Day<br>-

Haru hadn't made it to the main pool in a month. He had only made it to the outside pool, seeing as it was so warm out, and it was closer to his dorm.

"Haru! We've got a few deliveries, would you mind taking them?" Haru sighed and put his apron away. Haru's boss has been trying to get Haru to be more social in the workplace, so Haru has been taking all of the pizza deliveries. You would be surprised how much pizza can be ordered in a Japanese city. "Oi, Haru. Make sure to get there on time. We don't want to lose money in the transaction, eh? Now hurry up you rotten fish."

Haru isn't exactly fond of his nickname "rotten fish" but to be honest, he felt it suited him. He never felt he deserved a better nickname.

Haru drove a company scooter on deliveries. It was faster than walking, and easier to carry pizzas than s bike. He never had to go more than three miles on a deliver anyways, so it wasn't too much of a hassle. Today his farthest destination was only two miles south. He only had three deliveries total too, then he could hit the pool. Today was the day he had planned to go the main pool. The thing with the main pool is that it had all of the kickboards, pull buoys, flippers, a larger space, and some competition. Rarely anybody would be found outside, and that was nice for a while, but it never seemed to push Haru enough.

Haru never really got embarrassed over things. That was, until he took up this internship. Haru knocked on the first door and a pretty woman in her twenties swung it open.

Hesitating and chocking on his words, Haru spoke quietly, "Sekai Saikō no Piza." The woman laughed and thanked Haru by handing him the money she owed for her Hawaiian pizza. He felt that "World's Best Pizza" might be the most embarrassing thing any pizza delivery guy would ever have to say.

"Sekai Saikō . . . no Piza . . ." Haru greeted a tall foreigner at his hotel door. The foreigner at least couldn't understand the Japanese and just nodded. Haru handed the man the bill and the box and waited for the money. He checked his watch quickly and approximated how much time he would get before the pool closed.

Last stop. Haru took a deep breath and removed the baseball styled hat from his head and ruffled his own dark hair before he got off the scooter. He grabbed the last box and walked to the building. There was no name on the order, just an address. It was kind of strange, but Haru wasn't one to ask questions. He ringed the doorbell and knocked once, for good measure. "Sekai Saikō no Piza," he called out, waiting for someone to answer. The door flung open and man appeared, slightly confused.

"Pizza you say? I guess the guy who lives in the downstairs apartment must have ordered it," the man mumbled. "Come in. He must have ordered it on his way home, he's not here yet."

"Thank . . . you," Haru paused in the middle of speaking, looking around the building as he walked in.

"You can wait here, he should be home soon. I'll be upstairs if you need anything." Haru nodded in reply and waited as he listened to the foot step of the man tracing stairs.

It was a good five minutes and Haru was about to leave when the nob of the door started to shake and it swung open.

Rin recognized those blue eyes. He would recognize them from anywhere. But, what were they doing in his apartment?

"H-Haru?!"

世界最高のピザ


	2. I Didn't Order a Pizza

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 2

"Rin!" Haru exclaimed more confused than ever. He tugged slightly at the collar of his work polo while waiting for Rin to explain.

It seemed like Rin had the same idea because neither of them spoke for a good minute. Finally realizing that, Rin spoke. "Haru, what-what are you doing here?"

"I-"

Rin cut him off again to say, "Never mind, stupid question. Okay, how about: why are you in my house?"

"I got called here on a delivery." He left Rin up to observe by the pizza, the uniform, and the hat that he was working for a pizzeria. Rin sighed in disbelief.

"Haru, I haven't seen you in two years. How am I supposed to believe this is just a coincidence?"

"Well, I have to go to the pool, would you please take your pizza?" Haru muttered, getting slightly angry, but it was unapparent on his emotionless face.

"I didn't order a pizza."

"Then whose pizza is this? It's not his." Haru implied, talking about the man upstairs.

"I don't know."

"Well, this _is _the address." Haru showed the paper.

Rin huffed and looked around. "Fine." Haru replied with a puzzled look. "I'll buy the pizza."

"But-"

"How much?"

Haru said quietly, "twenty . . . but . . ."

Rin handed him a twenty from his pocket and waved him away, "Go on then."

Haru stared for a while, but knew he had to leave. So he did. It's not that he wanted to stay, he was just uncomfortably confused. He turned around and put the hat back on his head. The cement felt strange under his feet, the sky getting gradually dark in early November. He wondered how much time he spent in there, it seemed like forever.

Rin wondered how much time he spent dealing with that, it could never be long enough. Truth is, he didn't want Haru to leave. He never thought he would run into anyone from Iwatobi again, especially not Haru. He was doing fine emotionally their senior year, but his first year of college put him in a rut. He was in a bad place, and he blamed everyone around him. He was smart enough to realize that if he talked to his Iwatobi or Samezuka friends that he would soon blame them too. In the end, he didn't. No matter how many calls or emails he got, there was no way he'd reply. But, he missed them, all of them. There's a chance that they could have helped him, but he didn't want to risk it.

Rin hugged the pizza box and sunk to the floor. "Haru . . ." he wept quietly. Why didn't he make him stay?

Haru walked into the Athletic building, his encounter with Rin not effecting him at all. He swiped his student ID card and entered the locker room to get changed, throwing his duffle bag under the bench. Stripping his clothes to reveal the swimsuit underneath, he sought his goggles and walked through the door to the pool. There were tons of people in and around the pool practicing, stretching, and coaching.

"Haru!" the youngest of the trainers called. Meeting halfway, the coach spoke again, "I see you've been getting your hours in, but you've skipped so many one on one sessions. I'm not gonna press it, but you really should make as many as possible." Handing Haru a kickboard, "Now get in there."

Haru nodded and dove in quick as possible. The feeling of the water, surrounding him, it was incomparable. He felt at home, the smell of chlorine and heavy breathing. While swimming, his mind only has one focus. There are no other thoughts to pollute his mind our cloud his thinking. He counted in his head, seconds until turns, seconds between breaths. He did this until everything was rhythmically clockwork. He felt _free._ It was a feeling unlike anything else.

And the feeling of getting out was one of Haru's least favorite. The way the cold air would hit his body, the uncomfortable clingy towel wrapped around him, and the rushing thoughts and worries he had come to forget. He talked to some of the coaches before leaving and apologized for his absences. Then he headed to his dorm, of course stopping and changing in the locker room on his way there. When he opened the door to his room, a note was left by his rarely present roommate saying he would be spending the night out again. Haru decided that meant he would have the time to cook mackerel. Lucky for Haru, the dorm building he lived in supplied small kitchens in almost every other dorm. It'd been a year since Haru had begun his internship at the pizzeria, but it paid well, so he continued. Haru was sick of making pizzas and pasta though. Italian food was and never would be his forte. But, the people were nice and the money was good, and the work wasn't too hard. He had no reason to leave, so he didn't. Problem solved, huh?

Rin walked across campus, trying to look cool by putting earbuds in his ears. Of course, in reality, he was just a total dork and was listening to a podcast on Olympic swimmers. His dorkish-ness didn't stop him from trying though. The campus wasn't that big, but just his luck, his classes were on completely opposite sides. While taking shortcuts strategically, he would pretend to check for emails when he obviously didn't have any. He was honestly just trying to get thoughts of Haru out of his head. _Why would Haru be here? Does he go to this school? I know the swimming program is great here, but wouldn't I have seen him at some of the practices? Why was he delivering pizza, and why to my apartment? _Rin took a deep breath and entered his English classroom. _Why can't I stop thinking about him? _Forty minutes into the lecture, Rin was doodling on his notes. He wrote one thing out and began to circle it profusely. _Haru._

Haru called in to work telling his boss that he was taking the day off, he planned to hit the pool all day after classes instead. What Haru wasn't expecting was to see Rin in the locker room. Rin didn't see Haru, and Haru managed to slip right pasted him undetected, or so he thought,

Rin could have sworn he saw Haru. Rin honestly believed he was going crazy. Why else would all of his thoughts be about Haru? At least he could get in the pool now and clear his head, especially thoughts of Haru. He opened the door to the pool and got strait in the pool. It took him almost twenty five minutes to realize that Haru was swimming in the lane next to him. He was so surprised that he messed up his next turn and decide to go get a drink of water. His water bottle was against the wall next to his towel that was hanging off the edge of the bleachers. After cooling down for a minute, Rin got back in the same lane next to Haru. It was unspoken, but soon enough the two were racing each other back and forth, faster and faster each time. To be honest, Rin couldn't have been happier at that point.


	3. An Array of Green, Blue, and Purple Eyes

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 3

Makoto was currently attending a university in Tokyo. He was working towards a four year degree, but still uncertain about a major. With his best friend Haru busy with his own studies and his swimming, Makoto didn't get much chance to talk to him besides the occasional brakes. More often Makoto had conversations with his friends Rei and Nagisa who had just graduated this past year. Nagisa had decided to follow through with his dream of becoming an astronaut by studying abroad in America. Funny enough, Rei decided to study in America as well, but in chemistry rather than the engineering classes Nagisa was taking. Makoto would constantly video chat the two when he had the chance. He also had the chance to reconnect with his friend Kisumi over the past year, who had also moved to Tokyo on a basketball scholarship. They didn't attend the same college, but their schools were so close, that they decided to rent an apartment together.

"Kisumi?" Makoto called from the opposite room.

"Yeah, Mako? What's up?" Kisumi was sitting on the living room sofa.

"Have you seen my binder?"

"Pffffft. Nope. Go fish."

"You really stick, don't you?"

"Suck it." Kisumi spat, returning to the book he was reading. "Hey, don't leave without me. I'm tagging along to meet Sousuke."

Sousuke coincidentally attends Makoto's University. They don't see each other too often, but they have a couple of core classes together; Japanese Literature and Archeology to be specific. Even though they don't have assigned seats or anything, they've never sat anywhere near each other. Makoto had absolutely nothing against Sousuke, actually he respected Sousuke. Especially since he saw Sousuke risk everything for his team at nations in high school. He never felt the need to reach out to Sousuke so he left it up to him to take the first move.

"Why are you meeting with Yamazaki?" Makoto asked while pouring sugar into his tea. Screwing on the top of the travel mug he took his glasses off.

"He called me the other day and said he had something to ask me. I dunno what," Kisumi threw his own glasses on the coffee table along with the book.

"What about school? Don't you have classes today?"

"Nope. I only have Psych today, and the professor called in sick."

"Alright then. I'm heading out after I brush my teeth."

"Mhmkay"

The boys both walked to the subway to catch the first train. Kisumi sat down and while Makoto stood and held the pole next to the seat. When they got to their stop, Makoto adjusted his bag and nudged Kisumi. This is where the boys went separate ways.

"I'll see you back at the flat," Kisumi cooed as he hurriedly skipped away.

Makoto had two classes to attend that day: Accounting and Japanese History. Neither he would ever consider his favorite, but there is worse. As long as it wasn't English or anything to do with art, he wouldn't complain.

Sousuke sat on the bench next to the campus fountain waiting for his pink haired friend. As he waited, he kept a notebook propped on his knee and workbook on the other. He was trying to solve his calculus problems as fast as possible because getting set behind is something he did not want to deal with. Sousuke was the kind of person who liked to run on a schedule. Everything had to be done by a certain time, things had to be planned strategically so that one thing starts as another thing ends. Currently he wanted all of his homework done before he was distracted by the shenanigans he could imagine Kisumi might pull.

"Sousuke!?" a searching voice called from the opposite side of the fountain.

Standing up, and soon towering over the other students, Sousuke called back, "Oi, Kisumi!"

Kisumi being fairly tall himself, ran over to Sousuke and wasn't covered completely by his shadow like the rest of the students.

"Oh, Sousuke," Kisumi sang.

"Hey, Kisumi. Long time no see."

"Yeah, same,"

"Did you want to go somewhere, or?"

"I dunno. We could go back to my apartment, it's only a train ride away."

"Sounds fine." Sousuke sighed packing up his loose stuff and checking his the pocket of his dark jeans for his wallet. The two then headed out.

"Hey, let's stop at the market quick and pick up some snacks." Kissumi cried.

"Whatever."

Kisumi excitedly picked a large selection of junk foods, paying no attention to Sousuke anymore. Well, until Sousuke hit him upside the shoulder complaining for him to hurry up. They finally got home after half an hour including shopping and train rides. Walking up to the front door of the flat Kisumi fumbled in his pocket for his keys. Opening the door, Kisumi motioned to the couch, hoping Sousuke would get the message and sit down. He did, and Kisumi followed behind after dropping his bag of junk on the kitchen table and grabbing a bag of chips and salsa.

"So, how's basketball going?" Sousuke asked, to start their conversation while he unscrewed the top of the salsa can.

"Pretty chill. You know, you should have listened to me in Elementary school. You would have been awesome on the court with your height and all. Makoto too."

"Mako . . .to?" the name rolled off Sousuke's tongue, intentionally edging Kisumi on to talk more about Makoto as he took a bit of his chip. This was the first time Sousuke had ever said Makoto's first name.

Makoto was beat after class. He was so drained and tired, he didn't even think he could make it to the train, let alone make it home. He grabbed a coffee from the vending machine on campus before he left, the sky getting darker and darker by the minute. This at least woke him up enough to get home.

Walking through the door, Makoto was greeted by a big surprise. Sousuke Yamazaki stared intently at Makoto as he walked into his own home.

"Yamazaki?" Makoto blinked.

"Tachibana,"

"Uh, hello."

"You two . . . live together?" Sousuke asked, confused.

"Yeah, Kisumi never told you? We just moved in together a month ago, a few weeks before classes started."

"Oh," he glared at Kisumi, who shrugged and went back to snacking.

"Alright, I'm going to go take a shower . . . Make yourself at home . . ." Makoto said hesitantly, unsure how to speak to Sousuke.

Thankfully, by the time Makoto was finished with his half an hour shower and started his homework, Sousuke had decided to leave. From the other room he could hear the conversation.

"I better head out. I didn't mean to intrude on your home."

"Nah, its fine. I invited you here anyways."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you shared an apartment,"

"I told you, its fine! Makoto doesn't care."

"Well, anyways, I should head out. It was great to talk to you again. I guess. Thanks for clearing that thing about Haru up."

Makoto gasped and whispered to himself, "Haru?" _What would Yamazaki have to do with Haru?_

"No prob. See ya later." Kisumi said, interrupting Makoto's thoughts. Makoto knew it was wrong to listen in on their conversation, but . . .

The door slammed behind Sousuke as he left. Makoto heard Kisumi walking towards his room and hurriedly return to writing science equations.

"Mako, Sousuke's left."

"Okay,"

"Whatchya want for dinner?"

"Nothing. I'm tired, I'm going to bed." Makoto said sternly.

"Alright," Kisumi left the room, shutting Makoto's bedroom door behind him.


	4. The Old Man's Wrinkles

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 4

_Haru. _The name was a sour taste in Makoto's mouth._ Why in the world was Yamazaki asking about Haru? _Makoto couldn't sleep at all that night, thankful Rei had just woken up where he was.

It was 12:06 AM in Tokyo, Japan, and Makoto Tachibana was absolutely restless. Not even considering the time it might be in America, he texted both Rei and Nagisa. He got an immediate text back from Rei which Makoto took for granted at the time. It wasn't every day, or night in this case, he'd get a reply so quickly from someone in another time zone. The text read:

_Hey, Makoto-Senpai, what's wrong? Isn't it pretty late there?_

It wasn't until then did he consider Rei's very own time. He calculated it to be about ten in the morning, so he wasn't being too obnoxious to his glasses-wearing friend. Frantically, he typed back:

_Sorry to bother you, I'm having trouble sleeping. Can I ask you something? Have you talked to Haru at all recently?_

Rei's reply was a fast as his first.

_It's fine, Makoto-Senpai. Nagisa's asleep still anyways, and I don't have any morning classes. No, I haven't talked to Haru. Is something up?_

_I overheard Yamazaki talking to my roommate. He was asking questions about Haru._

_Like what?_

_I don't know, I didn't hear the main conversation, just the end. _

_Do you have any idea of what they may have talked about?_

_No clue, that's why I'm freaking out. _

_I'm sorry, Senpai, I don't think I can help you out very much. _

_It's okay, I just wanted to talk to somebody._

It was Saturday. That meant Makoto had to work, and no, he wasn't paid for his work. He didn't really care about money anyways. Let's just say Makoto's family wasn't poor. Every weekend, and some random days of the week, Makoto volunteered his time at the Fire Department. He wanted to help a lot of people. He grabbed his coat and wallet to catch the first train in that direction.

Haru wasn't going to say anything to Rin. He didn't care to. He wasn't sure why he didn't care, he should, but he felt that it was more Rin who didn't want to talk to him. That was completely untrue, but even believing so, Haru just didn't care. Maybe something was wrong with him. He dried off after his long swim and stepped into the showers to rinse the chlorine off his body. He thoroughly scrubbed his head running fingers through his hair and enjoyed the hot water running down his back. Drying off again, he threw his clothes over the top of his swimsuit.

Rin wanted to talk to Haru desperately, but couldn't think of anything to say. He wasn't normally like this, usually he would talk to anyone about anything, no hesitation. Why was he beating himself up over talking to Haru though? He watched Haru leave the locker room and opened his mouth to call out Haru's name. But, no sound came out. Haru left and Rin couldn't even say a word. It looks like Rin would have to go with plan-B.

Sousuke's shoulder brace was fucking annoying. That's all that could be said about it. It was bulky underneath his clothes, it was uncomfortable, and worst of all, could be rarely taken off. That shoulder of his was past its days of return. Doctors had told him that he may have to live with the brace for at least 3 years, or they may have to perform surgery. Surgery was the last thing Sousuke wanted, but if it came down to it, he'd do it. Surgery meant another couple of months or so in unwanted physical therapy though, which really turned Sousuke off. Sousuke had absolutely no idea of want he planned to major in or do after college. He was planning on working for his father's company, but that wasn't necessarily what he wanted to do.

Sousuke was pleased with the fact he resided in a single person dorm room. He really didn't want to deal with sharing the room. Sousuke didn't really have a lot of friends at his school nor did he care to socialize. He learned his lesson about making friends when Rin abandoned him for a second time. How selfish could the brat be? Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind he adjusted the stupid brace and left his room to grab some food. The mini fridge in his dorm was completely empty.

Rin couldn't take it anymore. He was going to do it. He flopped on the couch and dialed the number he had written on a scrap piece of paper. Although he didn't order the first pizza, he sure could order a second. He quickly shot up when the phone started to ring and began to pace nervously. After about three rings, someone finally picked up.

"Sekai Saikō no Piza, can we take your order?" The voice was too deep to belong to Haru. Rin sighed and relaxed a bit.

"Yes, I'd like to order a pizza for Matsuoka?"

Haru had only a few deliveries that day, and Matsuoka was last on his list. Haru was confused at why Rin might order a pizza after that last mishap and began to wonder if Rin actually had ordered the first. Haru was too tired on a Saturday night to do anything that night, so he looked forward to crashing out in his dorm. He thought of movie he could watch that night to get his mind off school, swimming, and work. Although he loved swimming, it wasn't like it was in high school. That's why he preferred the smaller, outdoors pool. He witnessed the smile on a six-year-old's face and the wrinkles of an old man who purchased a plain pizza before he reached his old friend's new apartment.

He rang the doorbell and felt no need for his routine chanting. He just waited for someone to open the door, and was going to leave as soon as possible. Rin opened the door and hid back a smile when he saw Haru. Haru shoved the pizza toward him without a word and waited for Rin to pull give him the money.

"So, Haru, I wasn't aware that we were going to the same school this semester."

"Yeah."

"What are you up to now? Working?"

"No, you're the last delivery."

"What are you doing now then?" Rin's wallet finally emerged and he started to scan through it for bills.

"Nothing."

Rin bit his lip as he handed Haru the money and a tip. "Would you like to stay? Maybe catch up a bit?"

Haru desperately wanted to say no, but he would sound rude if he refused the offer. So, like a dickhead, he didn't answer at all. He just stood there on the doorstep.

"Seriously, come in."

"I-I, uh, have to-"

"Bullshit. You said you were free. C'mon," Rin cut him off, practically dragging him inside, "I can't finish this whole pizza myself."

Finally giving up, Haru walked inside, shaking his wrist from Rin's hand. Rin's apartment was part of a huge house that looked old, and haunted. The floorboards were creaky, but the rest of the house was pretty elegant. The man upstairs didn't appear to be home at the time, which made Rin feel at ease.

"Make yourself at home, couch's over there," Rin pointed, "I'll put in a movie."

* * *

><p><em>Hello, I'm Lavi. Thank you for reading! I'm trying to post a new chapter every other day, so bear with me if I'm a day late. Please, leave feedback! My Tumblr is :  / okcat1 . tumblr , feel free to check me out. Thank you!_

_-Lavi_


	5. Haru's Vibrating Pants

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 5

_Jaws? Really? _Haru's mind cussed as his old friend sat on the couch after putting in his favorite movie. Yes, ironically Rin Matsuoka's favorite was the stupid western film,_ Jaws_. It was pretty easy to see why, both Rin and the shark had sharp teeth and loved water.

"You want some?" Rin asked Haru as he removed a slice of pizza from the greasy cardboard box.

Practically starving, Haru gave a nod and took one. That's when his pants started to vibrate. Okay it wasn't actually his pants, it was the phone in his pants that was vibrating, but you get the idea. It was a text from Makoto, someone Haru had meaning to talk to but hadn't had the time. He quitly read the text, trying not to bother Rin while doing so.

_Haru, email or call me when you get the chance –Makoto_

"Rin? Where's your bathroom?" Haru asked. Rin, invested in the movie and pizza, pointed behind him. Haru decided to just go look himself. Walking through the large room he guessed was the kitchen, he found a small room to the right that look like a bathroom. Sure enough it was and locked himself in as he typed in Makoto's number.

After flour-ish rings, a familiar calming voice answered, "Haru?"

"Hey, Makoto."

"Haru-chan, are you okay?"

"Yeah? And stop calling me –chan."

Laughing, "Alright, Haru."

"Why?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"No reason," Makoto decided it might be best not to mention Sousuke.

"Tell me."

"Seriously, I was just checking in!"

"Makoto . . ."

"Fine. Yamazaki, Rin's friend, he goes to my school. He was with Kisumi, and I overheard them talking. About you. I don't know what they were saying, but I caught the end in which Yamazaki thanked Kisumi for answering his questions."

"Why was he asking about me?"

"I thought you could tell me!"

"No."

"Haru~"

"What?"

"Do you have any idea? Any at all?"

"I don't know. Maybe Rin."

"Rin? What about him?"

"He goes to my school."

Makoto's jaw dropped open. "What?! Since when?! Have you guys been in contact this whole time? I thought he was ignoring all of us!"

"Since this year. I'm at his house now."

"WHAT?! Give him hell for me!"

"okay."

"Sorry, that took me by surprise. Anyways, I'll let you go. Also, I'll keep you update on the Yamazaki thing."

"Thanks."

"Bye, Haru. I miss you."

"Bye."

Makoto took a deep breath. Why hadn't Rin reached out to him? Did Rin really not care? It was a Saturday night, Makoto was home alone, he'd just gotten out of work, and he felt like crying. He wasn't actually going to cry, but he felt like shit and was in that mood to watch_ The Notebook _and pound down a couple quarts of ice cream. So, that's what he did.

It was 11:23 PM when Kisumi walked inside to find Makoto eating ice cream from the container with a spoon. He sighed, put his stuff down, and took of his coat. Kisumi snuggled right up to Makoto with a spoon of his own and stole some ice cream without a word. They sat like that for the rest of the night, eventually finishing the ice cream and falling asleep on each other.

In what would be midnight in Tokyo, Rei woke his boyfriend up with a kiss on the forehead. They had been dating for a year and a half, completely open about it. Makoto was the first one they told, who passed the message to Haru. Makoto was completely supportive, being openly gay himself, and Haru just didn't really care. The blonde's pink eyes fluttered open and pulled Rei down as he wrapped his arms around the other's neck.

"Morning," Rei whispered to Nagisa in English. They had been in America for a couple months, and they were forced to speak much more English than they would like.

Speaking in Japanese now, Nagisa asked, "What classes do I have today, Rei-chan?"

"Nagisa, it's a Saturday. No classes."

"Really?! Then come here," Nagisa tugged on Rei's sweater until Rei fell down onto the bed.

Rei laughed. "I've got to go run some errands, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you didn't sleep all day. We both know you would."

Nagisa sighed, "Let me come then."

"I'll be outside then." Rei said, leaving Nagisa to get dressed in his dorm room. The two lived in the same building for exchange students, their single-student rooms being side by side. They were honestly just really lucky, that they both could be admitted to the same program and that they could live so close to one another. It was much easier to make out in high school though, because they could be alone in each other's houses. Now they rarely had privacy, the walls in the building were paper thin. It didn't matter too much though, because there relationship didn't rely on anything physical.

Nagisa was dressed for the freezing weather in New York City. It wasn't much different than how it probably felt in Iwatobi right now, but it was much colder that the hot summer they had just experienced.

He was greeted by Rei as he opened his door.

"Ready?"

Nagisa hummed in agreement as he locked the door and jumped on Rei's arm.

Haru got back to his dorm around 11:00 PM and went straight to sleep. He had completely forgotten about the Sousuke thing until he woke up Sunday morning with a new text from Makoto.

_Should I ask Kisumi?_

Haru really didn't care what Yamazaki was interested in.

_No. _

He put his phone on the dresser and got back in bed to sleep a couple more minutes. It was Sunday, no school, and he was off from work. That mean all he had planned that day was swimming and homework. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach though, and unsure why. Curling up under the sheets, he closed his eyes tightly wishing the strange emptiness away. His roommate was never there, ever. He must stay at his girlfriend's, or a relatives, or just anywhere else because Haru has only seen him three times all year. Haru was glad though, he was so used to living in an empty house, that sharing a room with another person seem like a strange concept to him.

Sleeping in another hour, Haru wasn't even remotely in the mood for breakfast. He headed strait of the pool with his duffle bag full of swim gear. When he got to the pool, he immediately jumped in, hoping to swim off this strange feeling in his gut. It didn't. Haru took several breaks to talk with coaches and teammates, but nothing could rid him of whatever was festering up inside.

When Haru had finished swimming he washed up and started to change. For the first time in possibly forever, he completely changed out of his swimsuit. And, as he left the changing facilities, he was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Haru!"

Turning around, Haru saw Rin, still in his swimsuit himself.

"Haru, wait up," Rin finally reached Haru and catching his breath. Looking into Haru's distant blue eyes, Rin looked puzzled. "Haru, are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine."

"You sure? You don't look so good . . ."

"I'm fine. What did you want?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you were taking Statistics with Mr. Yukihira."

"Yeah, Wednesdays and Fridays."

"I think I'm switching into your class. I can't stand my professor."

"Okay."

"Alright, I'll catch you later then."

Haru nodded and left, the feeling still there._ I just need more sleep _Haru convinced himself.


	6. He's Better Off With the Lamp

_I don't own Free! or any of the characters that appear in "It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes"._

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 6

He's Better Off With the Lamp

Kisumi was openly and happily a single pansexual. Shit, he would fall in love with a table lamp if he knew it could love him back. But that was his condition; he only loved things that would love him back. He completely needed something physical because he needed to rely on someone _sometime_. Being an older brother, he felt he always had to be the responsible one. Being depended on all the time though, he would surely break down.

It was Sunday morning and Kisumi woke up next to his tall friend. Makoto was still sleeping, so Kisumi snuggled right up to him adjusting the blankets to evenly cover them both. Digging his face into Makoto's back, he tried to get back to sleep, but woke Makoto in the process.

"Ki . . . sumi?" Makoto groggily made out.

"Hey, sleepy-head," Kisumi brushed his head against Makoto's arm.

"Mhm, what happened?"

"We fell asleep last night,"

"Oh. Damn, I'm tired."

"Then, let's just stay . . . like this," he snuggled up even more.

"Isn't _this _a little weird?"

"Noooo . . ." Kisumi moaned.

Makoto straitened his back basically shaking Kisumi off, and sat upright. "C'mon, this _is _weird."

"It's not! Mako~"

"Are you telling me you want to spoon with me?"

"Yes."

Makoto took a breath and looked at Kisumi. "Please be honest with me. Are you attracted to me?"

Kisumi bit his lip and backed up, "Pssshhh, no!"

Makoto gave a disapproving look, "I'm serious. I'm not doing this."

It wasn't Kisumi's fault that he was attracted to Makoto. The same way he was attracted to Sousuke in elementary school, or Haru in middle school. But, those narrow purple eyes sure could tell a lie. He knew just how to turn the tables.

"Mako, do _you _like anyone? Are you seeing someone? Because, normally, this wouldn't bother a person."

"No, I'm not. I just, it's just not . . . right."

"You'd do it if it were Haru," Kisumi huffed.

"No, I would . . . It wouldn't . . . I just . . ." Makoto took a hesitated but eventually blurted out, "I'm afraid that I might start liking you, okay?!"

_Is that a bad thing? _Kisumi thought, slightly speechless at Makoto's little outburst.

"It would ruin our friendship. I'm sorry. Let's just not."

"Okay," Kisumi gave in. He was much more like a teenage girl than a twenty-year-old college basketball player. He got up slowly, pulling one of the two blankets with him, completely wrapping it around himself. Now standing he shuffled towards his room until he turned around and looked at Makoto. Quietly he spoke through his blanket, "Mako, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry I just-"

"No, not that. I mean, when I got home you were watching sad movies and foreign films, eating ice cream by the tubs, and staying up late. Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing happened . . . I'm fine. Really, you shouldn't waste your time worrying about me."

"Mako, I'm being serious. Someone's gotta worry about you, might as well be me. Also, it's not and never will be a _waste _of time. More like an investment."

Makoto giggled a bit, "It really doesn't matter."

"Tell me. Did you break up with a boyfriend you never told me about?"

"No."

"I know it's not a girlfriend because you're gay beyond everyone's wildest dreams . . . Give me one more guess; are you upset about Haru?"

"Kind of."

"Haha, Jackpot," Kisumi smiled, "Okay, now, what about Haru?"

"I, well . . . I overheard you and Yamazaki. I heard him thank you for answering his questions?"

Kisumi froze that moment, his blanket hitting the floor. "Oh, that. It's nothing, don't worry about it," trying to brush it off. This only got Makoto angrier.

"Whose side are you on?! I thought you were just trying to comfort me, and now you're helping Yamazaki?! Why don't you go live with_ him_ if you two are so chummy!"

Kisumi laughed, "Who uses the word chummy? Ahahaha, that's too funny."

"That's it! Are you really _that _immature? I'm torn up about this and you have the nerve to laugh."

"Okay, Mako, listen to me. The matter concerning Haru has nothing to do with either of you. It was to do with me and Sousuke. It's not important."

"If it's not important, than why can't you tell me?"

"I just can't"

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"If you won't tell me, I'm going to move out. Why won't you tell me?"

"BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING EMBARRASSING!" Kisumi shouted. This silenced both of them. To break the awkward silence, he added, "No need to be such a dick, Makoto."

Both the boys felt like utter shit and decided to leave it at that. They weren't mad at each other, more like they were both mad at themselves for being insensitive. Makoto went into his room and lied down on his bed. Kisumi stayed in the Living room, eventually turning on the TV and plugging in his old PlayStation 3. He played games basically the rest of the day, his mood too spoiled to do anything else. Makoto slept for a few hours and called Haru when he woke up. He received Haru's message reading "_No", _a reply to the text Makoto sent the previous night, when he woke up.

"Hey, Haru."

"Hey, Makoto."

"Is now a good time to talk?"

"I just got out of the pool and just walked in my dorm. "

"Were you up to anything? I don't want to interrupt."

"I was going to take a nap, that's all."

"You don't mind talking?"

"No,"

"Thanks, Haru. So, uh, I know you told me not to ask Kisumi but,"

"Makoto, you didn't-"

"I didn't get a straight answer, don't get your hopes up."

"I'm not,"

"Anyways, what he did tell me was that it had to do with himself and Yamazaki. He also said that it was, uh, embarrassing."

"Makoto, I don't really care,"

"Sorry, I was just worried and Kisumi and I got into a fight-"

"Whoa, you guys got into a fight?"

"Yeah, but I-"

"Makoto, you really shouldn't have risked your friendship for me."

"Haru, your friendship means so much more to me. You are my best friend, don't forget that."

"Thanks."

"What?"

"Thanks for asking. And looking out for me."

Makoto smiled, "Of course."

"Yeah."

"I better let you take your nap. You're okay right? Taking a nap at this time is a little strange."

"Fine."

"You're not getting sick, are you?"

"Maybe."

"Well, take it easy, drink fluids, and stay healthy."

"Okay."

"Bye, Haru."

"Yeah."

Makoto hung up. He stared at the ceiling and finished all of his homework due that week. Well, all the homework he could. Before he realized, it was night time and he hadn't eaten anything all day. His stomach yelled at him for being irresponsible and neglective. When he walked to the kitchen, he noticed that Kisumi must have gone to bed because the lights were off and there was nobody in the living room. The games were completely off, and out of curiosity, Makoto felt to see how hot the TV and the PlayStation was. They were surprisingly not hot, but slightly warm because, let's face it, he had been playing them all day. When Makoto opened the fridge to see what he could eat, he saw out of the corner of his eye, a plate with plastic wrap surrounding it. Pulling it out he saw the sticky note on it that read:

I'm sorry, Mako I was being stupid  
>I should have told you, but I didn't<br>want to tell you, I was just being a  
>selfish jerk. Also, you didn't come<br>and eat at all, which was stupid of  
>you so I made you this. Don't get<br>sick. -Kisumi

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so much for the feedback! Feel free to check out my Tumblr: <strong>:  / okcat1 . tumblr **_

_-Lavi_


	7. White Walls and Blue Floors

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 7

Haru woke up Monday to get ready for class and still felt like shit. His stomach still ached at a weird emptiness that festered. He could cross getting more sleep off of his list of possible solutions. He slept a good thirteen hours of sleep that night, and still couldn't function properly. He thought maybe it was something he had eaten recently that made him feel sick. He thought it'd wear off soon, and he would just continue with his normal routines.

Class was rough, but not unbearable. Work was a little tougher.

"Hey, work the phones today, rotten fish, we're short on staff today," Haru's boss called to him.

Haru nodded and answered all the phone calls for the day.

"Sekai Seikō no piza. What can I get for you?"

He listened to what felt like a thousand orders between prepping ingredients and sauces. Some customers were easier to deal with that others, and talking drained Haru like streaming videos would your phone's battery life. By the end of his three hour shift, he was almost completely out of it.

He got to the pool afterwards and hoped he could shake it off. Nope. He took it easy, not pushing himself too hard. After an hour and a half, he decided to stop; that the cold water might just make him sicker. He consulted his coaches about the problem and they advised him to take it easy like he had been. One told him to go see a doctor, but when would Haru have time for that?

Haru got home that night around nine at night, worked a bit on his school assignments and then decided to sleep. He was too tired to even check his phone messages or missed calls. The only problem was that when he was in bed and the lights were off, his roommate nowhere to be found, and he couldn't keep his eyes closed. No matter how much he wanted to sleep, he could only curl up and try to ignore the sickness in his gut. It got so bad, he could hear pounding in his head. So, he eventually did check his phone.

Haru expected that the three missed emails on his phone to be from Makoto. He couldn't have been more wrong. He had an email forwarded from his boss about the work schedule the rest of the week, and two from Rin. Rin's number was one Haru hadn't seen in a long time. The first text was just a simple "hello" but the second one came as a slight surprise.

_Are you okay? You left the unusually early._

Haru replied, the time on his phone reading 11:24.

_I'm fine._

Getting his mind off forcing himself to sleep eased his pain slightly. Although he didn't think he would get a reply so he put the phone down and rolled over, trying to sleep again. That was, until his phone beside his bed started to rumble, shaking his room like an earthquake. Quickly checking his phone, Rin had replied.

_Alright. Let me know if something's wrong though._

Haru couldn't bring himself to reply, and _eventually_ slept.

The rest of the week went by the same, Haru _eventually _sleeping. The second day he was sleep deprived, the third he was unable to focus. On the fourth night he woke up from the eventual sleep in cold sweat. His head hurt, his stomach ached, and he was falling apart.

It was Friday, and Haru had made it through his first class of the day. Barely. He was in his Statistics class when he couldn't take it much more. He told his professor that he felt ill and needed to leave. Only one head peered up as Haru left the classroom, one with a maroon shade of hair.

Dizzy, Haru took a few steps, after shutting the classroom door, in the hallway. He wasn't quite sure what the colors of the walls were, or the floor, or the ceiling. At the moment, they all looked the same. Was he walking on the ceiling or the floor? Was that a door or just a window? Well, it didn't matter too much when they all faded to black.

The walls were white, the same as the ceiling, but the floors were blue. Haru could tell the much when color started to fade back from black. He looked around and saw the needle in his arm. He looked even more and saw a figure in a black coat sitting in a chair across the room. Haru moaned himself awake, gaining the attention of the man in the coat.

"Haru, are you awake? How are you feeling?"

"Fine?" Haru still couldn't make out who it was.

"You are a fucking idiot."

"What's going on?" the person got closer and soon clearer. "Rin?"

"You left class early, and passed out in the hall. An upperclassman found you and told our professor. When I heard, I called an ambulance."

"Oh."

"Fuck, Haru, that's all you have to say? Oh?"

When Haru didn't answer, Rin sighed, "Haru, be honest. How long have you not been feeling well? You were acting strange on _Monday_. Please tell me you haven't been feeling sick all week!"

"Maybe," Haru replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Haru you fucking liar. God. Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm your friend?!"

Haru mumbled to himself, "Then why'd you ignore us?"

That's when the nurse walked in the room. "Mr. Nanase? I'd like to ask you a few questions. Would that be alright? I'll have to ask your friend to leave."

Taking the hint, with one last look at Haru, Rin left without a word.

"Mr. Nanase, from the tests our doctors have performed, it seems there is nothing wrong with your condition. We suspect you fainted do to exhaustion and lack of sleep. On Average, how much a sleep have you gotten the past few days?"

"Not sure."

"Have you been having any trouble sleeping lately?"

"Yes."

"Any particular reason you know of? Medications that may keep you awake at all?"

"No."

"Nothing you can think of?"

"My stomach hurt."

"Did it physically hurt? As in pain or discomfort?

"More like an empty hole in my gut."

"Could it have been anxiety?"

Haru shrugged his shoulders.

"Has anything in your life recently been able to impact you in such a way?"

"Not that I can think of."

"What about your school life? Work life? Social life?"

"All the same."

"Please take some time to consider. How is college life? Have you been home sick? Anything new with friends or family that may have given you a shock?"

After some thought, Haru remembered Rin. "I reconnected with an old friend."

"Define reconnect."

"We hadn't talked in a year."

"Were you close before that?"

"Fairly,"

"Why did you stop talking?"

"He didn't reply,"

"Could you be feeling anger or confusion towards him now due to this?"

"I don't know."

"Well, Mr. Nanase. What we're going to do is prescribe a weak antidepressant and hope it helps with your condition. You seem fine now, and if you're feeling so to, we'll have you discharged in the next hour."

Haru nodded got comfortable in his bed again. He stared at the wall for a good couple of minutes thinking. Pulling out his phone, he notices someone from the corner of his eye. Rin had re-entered the room.

"Rin? I thought you left."

"I was going to, but I got a coffee and thought I'd say goodbye first. Then I caught the nurse and she told me you were being discharged. I knew you didn't have any money on you, so I'm here to offer you a ride."

"Okay," Haru smiled.


	8. Those Glasses Are a Personal Matter

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 8

Makoto was tired, but he was unusually ready for class that morning. He had Japanese Literature that morning, and he had an essay to hand in that he was completely confident about. Makoto never did extremely well in school, but he never did poorly. He was completely average with his grades. He didn't want to be just average now that he was in college. The past year, his grades had improved slightly, and this year, he was trying his hardest to excel even more. He didn't think it would be so different his second year of college, he wasn't exactly prepared for so much responsibility.

Walking to class across campus, Makoto checked his phone for texts from Haru. He hadn't heard from Haru at all that week, and he had recalled from their last phone call that Haru was getting sick. Not wanting to bother Haru, Makoto simply texted his other friends, including Rei and Nagisa, to see if they had heard anything from Haru recently. He put his phone away when he walked in, followed by the professor and the clock.

Class was over before he knew it. His professor had just announced that their next assignment would be a project in which the students had to partner up; roadblock number one. Makoto didn't know anybody in his Lit class. Well, there was one familiar face. And, the face was approaching slowly . . . Makoto held his breath as a tall figure with searching eyes and hands in his jacket pocket walked forward.

"Oi, Tachibana. I'm not familiar with anyone here," He looked behind his shoulder, "and everyone seems to have partnered up," returning his face forward, "do you want to get this project over with?"

"Uh, sure, Yamazaki."

"Can I get your cell so that we can plan a time and place to get together?"

"Uh, sure," Makoto mumbled, fumbling through his shoulder bag for his phone. When Sousuke held out his hand, Makoto hesitantly grabbed it and typed in his number. His fingers lightly touched the screen, surprisingly typing actual numbers of a phone number. Sousuke did the same, and they parted ways.

Within the next two hours, Makoto received a text from Sousuke.

_Hey. lets get together sometime later today if youre free. i want to finish it asap._

Makoto sighed, and realizing he was free he agreed that would be wise. He also checked to see if Rei or Nagisa had replied, but neither of them had.

_Yeah. Would you like to stop by my place later today? I'll be here all day._

He didn't actually get a reply from Sousuke. He was too tired to focus on homework, which made him a little moody. His tiredness had finally hit. But, Makoto had set his phone down and hadn't checked it again since, so it was possible Sousuke had replied. Well, it didn't matter because Sousuke eventually just showed up to his apartment.

Kisumi was very confused when he went to answer the door to their apartment and found his friend standing outside.

"Sousuke? How can I help you?" He motioned for Sousuke to come inside and shut the door when Sousuke was completely accounted for, tall head and all.

Walking inside the apartment and removing his shoes, Sousuke asked, "Where's Tachibana?"

"His room. What's up?"

"Tachibana and I are working on a Jap. Lit. Project."

Kisumi pointed Sousuke in the direction of Makoto's room and resumed his Netflix binge-watching. His legs were dangling off the couch that he was perched in sideways. When Sousuke knocked on Makoto's door, Makoto jumped in fright. He had completely forgotten Sousuke was even planning on coming over. Being too lost in his other work, he didn't even think about .He quickly rushed to answer the door, completely scattering the papers he was working on before.

When Makoto opened the door, Sousuke started to scan him from the feet up. Sousuke knew Makoto was tall, but he never really paid attention to what Makoto really looked like. Normally people would notice Makoto's piercing green eyes, but they were hidden behind glasses.

Sousuke raised an eyebrow when his eyes met Makoto's, "You wear glasses?"

"Shit, I'm wearing my glasses? Damn, I know they look stupid. Forget you saw them."

"Woah, I didn't know you had a mouth like that."

"Sorry, judge me if you want. Let's just get this stupid project over with."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I like your glasses."

"Thanks," Makoto adjusted his glasses on his nose, "I'm sorry, come in. Set your stuff . . . anywhere."

"Okay."

"Um, so, where do we start?"

"Well, we should probably pick a book first."

Makoto laughed, "You may be right about that."

"Well, are we just going to use one of the books we had to read for class?"

"What about _Oku no Hosomichi?_"

"Can we _please _do something more modern?"

"Okay, _A Personal Matter _then?"

"That's a bit better."

"Alright, well, we know where to start now."

The boys worked on their project for a good hour, discussing effects the book may have had on different readers. They worked on their presentations, and when that hour was up, they agreed on a snack break.

Kisumi had left the apartment. No note. No message, nothing. Makoto had no clue where he had gone. He couldn't recall Kisumi mentioning anything going on that day, and he knew that Kisumi didn't have any classes that night. _Maybe he had a date? _Makoto thought. The thought hurt Makoto because Kisumi always told Makoto almost everything. It wasn't too much that they were close, than the fact Kisumi had a loud mouth. It was just unusual for Kisumi not to say, and made the chance seem very unusual. Makoto explored the idea there was a basketball game that night or maybe he went out with some friends for karaoke. Finally giving up thinking, the two started their own conversation.

"So. What's your deal?" Sousuke leaned on the counter and took a sip of his soda.

"My deal?"

"I don't know anything about you. Shed some light on the subject."

"I like kittens? And I volunteer at the Fire Department?"

"You volunteer at the Fire Department? That's super great."

"Really?"

"That's inspiring, really. I've done shit with my life, spent the whole time swimming and look where that's gotten me. You've already done important things."

"By the way, how is the . . . ?"

"Shoulder? Fucking awful," Sousuke tugged at his button down's collar, revealing his shoulder brace.

"I'm sorry,"

"It's my fault, whatever."

"Would you mind if I asked, when-what happened?

"I overworked myself. Trained too hard. It began to break down in my first years of high school. Now it's next to useless."

"What do the doctors say about it?"

"I'm stuck with this brace for too long, and no more swimming."

"There's no way for it to heal?"

"They offered me surgery, but they said I still won't be able to ever _competitively_ swim," setting his soda can down.

Makoto looked at Sousuke with understanding and sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry for prying, that was me being inconsiderate. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I have to live with this shit, I better accept it."

"Do you want to get back to the project? I know you said earlier you wanted to get it done as soon as we could."

Sousuke grabbed his cot and flung it over his good shoulder, "Nah, fuck it. Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p><em>What's up? Lavi here. I'm so sorry the new update was so late! I've been crazy busy with school and work.<br>__Please leave feedback, comments much appreciated!  
>Tumblr - <strong><strong>:  / okcat1 . tumblr****  
><em>

_-Lavi_


	9. Dirty Clothes

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 9

Rin was desperate to reconnect with his old friend now that they attended the same school. He ordered pizza once or twice a week just to see Haru. He'd stay late from practice and talk with Haru in the locker room. He was concerned for Haru's health and assumed it was because Haru may have been over working himself. Rin decided that it was his responsibility to help Haru as much as he could. He tried to help Haru study and train. He even went as far as to stealing Haru's room key and making a copy so that he could clean up and do Haru's laundry for him.

"Rin, stop."

"C'mon, Haru. Let me wash your swimsuits so that you can get to work on time."

"I can do it."

"Haru, you were in the fucking hospital, don't fight with me."

Haru mumbled, but didn't actually say anything.

"Haruuu~ Just go."

"I can take care of myself."

"Remember? Hospital? Do what I say."

Haru didn't want to talk to Rin about the Hospital. In reality, Rin's assumption was completely wrong. Haru was perfectly fine with school, training, chores, and work. What Haru tried to hide deep down is that Rin was the reason he ended up in the hospital. Haru had always had a hard time dealing with change. Having Rin leave, and then abruptly show up again in his life, was really messing with his head. Haru hadn't made a single friend since he began college. This was much unlike his best friend Makoto who was a total social butterfly. Haru didn't mind being alone though, he could still call Makoto when he needed.

"Haru! Go. Now." Haru had begun to take the swimsuits away from Rin, but Rin resisted.

Sighing, and knowing Rin wouldn't go away, Haru said, "Fine." He grabbed his work hat and his coat from the closet and left the room for work.

Haru was gone and Rin's pointy smile faded into a frown. "What am I going to do with you, Haru?" he thought out loud. He decided to take Haru's clothes back to his own apartment because the house had a shared washing machine. It would have been too much hassle to go to the Laundromat's and have to pay. He could also bother Haru into coming to his house even when he didn't have a pizza order now.

Putting Haru's clothes into the machine, Rin smelt something funny. He pressed one of the swimsuits to his nose and inhaled the chlorine scent that lingered. Closing his eyes he smiled at the smell. He'd learned over the years you pick out swimmers by the distinct scent of chlorine they could never rid themselves of. Suddenly realizing he'd been sniffing Haru's clothes for a good five minutes, his face turned red and he comically shoved the rest of the clothes in the machine. Once he had begun to run it, he pulled out his phone and texted Haru.

_Hey. I washed your clothes at my apartment, come pick 'em up when you're done with work. I'll drive you back to your dorm._

Haru got yelled at for checking his phone while on the job. He quickly got back to placing pieces of pepperoni on the pizza. The lights were dim inside the pizzeria, it was late at night which was a really strange shift for Haru to work. He was tired, but he had finished all of his school work, so he didn't mind being there. Thankfully, Haru's boss wasn't working him too hard and let him return to his work behind the scenes. This was most likely because of Haru's hospital visit, but Haru pretended it was otherwise.

After thirty pizzas were all delivered in thirty minutes and a much need bathroom break, Haru headed over to Rin's apartment. It wasn't Haru doing the delivering, so he had to walk to Rin's house which was a good hour of walking. When Haru got there, he just opened the unlocked door and plopped down on to Rin's couch. When Haru noticed that he had been lying on the couch for ten minutes and Rin still hadn't shown his face, he knew something was up. It would have been obvious that Haru was there because there's a bell that rings when the door is opened.

Haru got up and walked around the first floor, checking to see if Rin was in any of the rooms. He wasn't in the kitchen or the living room obviously. The first room Haru stumbled upon was the laundry room that had a bag filled with Haru's neatly folded clothes. The bathroom doors were unlocked and Rinless, the same with a storage room. The last room, and Haru's last chance to finding Rin was a door located at the end of the hallway. Knocking on the door, there was no answer. As Haru was about to walk away though, it cracked open slightly. The door lead to Rin's room, and a Rin sulking on the bed.

"Rin?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" Haru took an awkward step closer.

"Yeah."

"What's up?"

"It's nothing. Let's get going. I have your clothes already done."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not letting you run away again."

"Run away? What? I told you nothing's wrong!"

"Rin, tell me."

"It's _none _of your business!"

Grabbing Rin's arm, "Tell me! Stop push me away!"

Seeing the hurt in Haru's usually distant eyes, Rin gave up and fell onto the bed. Sighing, "I'm the shittiest friend."

Haru agreed in his mind, but knew that he would be the shitty friend if he said it out loud. He settled for a, "What happened?"

"It's Ai. I haven't talked to him for over a year, not since I left. But he still texts me. At least once a month. Usually once every two weeks, or his message would start with an, '_I'm sorry this message is late, I've been really busy!' _I don't know what to do. I want him to stop worrying about an asshole like me. Anyways, are you hungry?_"_

Haru nodded. The boys made their ways to the kitchen and Rin presented Haru with a mackerel dish he had prepared before Haru had gotten there. Haru smiled, a fairly rare sight, and this made Rin feel immensely better. Rin made himself a plain bowl of spicy noodles and the two ate. They hosted conversations about school, professors, coaches, Haru's work. They even made strange scenarios about the man with the upstairs flat after they watched him leave. Rin had told Haru before that he's never even officially met the man, despite his attempts to introduce himself. Even after they had finished eating, their conversation carried on for another twenty minutes. It carried on until Rin commented that it was getting late and Haru's dorm had a curfew.

"So, all your clothes are all folded up in this bag," Rin said, handing the bag to Haru. Haru took the bag and walked over to the door where his shoes were neatly placed.

"Is that all you're wearing? Didn't you wear a coat to work?" Rin observed.

"Yeah. I left it at work," Haru shrugged.

"Hold up. Let me get you a jacket or something atleast! You'll freeze."

Haru was about to protest, but Rin had already left. When Rin returned he was holding his old Samezuka swimming jacket, decorated with the signature red zipper and the triangles running down the sides of the sleeves. "Here," Rin held the jacket out, "this is all I could find at the moment."

Nostalgia hit the two from their high school years, remembering races they had against each other. Haru put it on without a word and opened the door, ringing the dumb bell. "

When the two were in the car, they didn't speak. Not until Haru opened his mouth anyways.

"You should call Nitori,"

The car slowed down when Rin heard his words.

"If you could reconnect with me, why not him?"

"Because, he shouldn't-"

"Rin, you're making him suffer by ignoring him. You know, when you didn't contact any of us, we started to think you had drowned in an ocean or something! We had to rely on Kou to tell us whether you were even _alive._ He's gonna think you only talked to him because you had to in high school." This was more than Haru had said in over a month.

Rin dropped Haru off and the next words he said he didn't say until Haru was gone. It's like Haru's spiel had taken the words from Rin's mouth.

Those next words came out shaky and uncertain, the phone up to his ear, "Hello, Ai?"

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><p><em>Thanks for reading, I'm sorry for the late updates all week!<em>_On another note, I'm looking for people interested in doing betas for my chapters. You will get credit at the top of every chapter you beta. If you're interested, message me on tumblr (I'm okcat1), AO3, or here. We'll work something out then.__Thanks again for reading,__Lavi_


	10. Starbucks and Christmas Shopping

Shout out to ameranthus13 who was responsible for this chapter's beta!

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><p>It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes<p>

Chapter 10

Makoto followed Sousuke out of the apartment, locking the door as they left. Both were bundled up in heavy coats and scarfs. Makoto's nose instantly turned red when it hit the outside air, like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. It was only the first week of December, and it was already freezing temperatures. If there was more moisture in the air, it would be snowing, but it was really dry out. The two headed towards the metro to get to the city.

Makoto had no idea where they were headed, so he blindly followed Sousuke who seemed to have a good idea. It took Makoto about fifteen to twenty minutes to finally build up the courage and ask Sousuke where they were headed or what they were doing. That was about when they got off the train.

"Yamazaki, where are we going, exactly?"

"Not sure," Sousuke answered, the words rolling off his tongue.

"Wait, you don't know? Then why am I just following you!"

Ignoring Makoto's comment, he said, "I want coffee."

"There's one on the next block," Makoto sighed.

"Great."

They walked in silence until they got to the Starbucks. There were plenty of people walking in the streets as well, and tall buildings blocking the sky. Even though Makoto was still taller than everyone around, being next to Sousuke made him feel so small. Makoto had always been the tallest. He was much taller that Haru, Rin, and Rei, and the only one who even compared in height was Kisumi. He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about being shorter than Sousuke. It was just a strange concept to him.

"Something wrong, Tachibana?" Sousuke asked as he opened the Starbuck's door and let Makoto in first.

"Thanks," he said for holding the door, "No, nothing's wrong, why?"

"You had a distant look on your face. Just checking."

"Thanks."

The Starbucks was pretty packed, packed with people trying to escape the cold December weather. There was a line of about six people, and plenty of people were lingering about, either waiting for their orders, or waiting for someone else. They both took off their gloves and rubbed their hands together on instinct. Sousuke knew exactly what he wanted, but Makoto was never that sure. So, Makoto glanced at the menu and specials board that was hanging up. He was worried that Sousuke might judge him depending on what he orders. When Makoto realized there were too many options and couldn't really decide, he thought he would settle with a hot chocolate. His logic behind it was _there is no age for hot chocolate._

Still waiting in line, Sousuke turned to Makoto and asked, "Was there anything you wanted to do while we were out? I thought I might think of something on our way here, but I have no ideas."

"Let me think," Makoto took a minute, "The only thing I can think of that I needed to do here in the city was some Christmas shopping . . ."

Taking a step forward as the line moved, it was Sousuke's turn to order.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the lady behind the counter asked.

"One Venti espresso and whatever he's having," Sousuke motioned his head towards Makoto.

"I can get my own-"

"Shut up Tachibana, I'm paying."

"I don't really need the caffeine, so can I just get a tall hot chocolate?" Makoto said to the lady behind the counter who smiled and nodded. She was short and spunky, you could tell, by the way she must smile at everyone with that dark hair and those dark eyes.

To Makoto's relief, Sousuke didn't say anything about the hot chocolate. They found one open table out of the three small ones and the booth was full. They sat their beverages down once they got them, along with gloves, scarves, and the hat Sousuke was wearing.

"Did you want to go Christmas shopping?" Sousuke sipped on his coffee.

"What?" Makoto had forgotten that he had mentioned shopping. "Oh, no! I'll get that done on my own time."

"I'm serious, if that's what you have to do, it'd be stupid to make another trip out here. Plus, I'll do anything to avoid working on that project

Makoto laughed, "I never would have pegged you for the procrastinating type of person."

"Really? The only person I've met that isn't is Rin."

Hearing the name gave Makoto shivers, "Have you been in touch with him?"

"No. I tried to contact him several times, but no reply. You?"

"No."

"Shame," Sousuke said, fiddling with the lid on his disposable cup.

Hesitantly, Makoto decided to bring up Haru, "But,"

"But?" Sousuke's eyes shot up and narrowed in one fluid motion.

"Haru has."

"He stayed in contact with Nanase?"

"Not exactly," Makoto's voice was quiet.

"Then what?"

"Rin transferred to Haru's school. Not knowing Haru went there."

"What?!" the shock evident in Sousuke's voice.

"I've been too scared to talk to Rin, but Haru told me that they've recently been hanging out a lot? I'm not really sure."

"What an asshole. I thought of anyone he would have contacted, it would be Nanase."

"I assumed you two were still in contact . . ."

"Why would you assume that? He obviously likes you guys, Nanase and all you better than me or anyone who went to Sano or Samezuka," a feeling of disappointment was in his words.

"No way! He idolized you in particular. He'd always talk about how you were like a god to him. He always says that you are his best friend and that nobody understands him like you do."

"Bullshit. Then why didn't he ever reply to my messages?"

"I couldn't tell you."

"Whatever. Shopping. You ready?" Sousuke said, ending the conversation suddenly by putting his hat back on and wrapping his scarf around his neck.

"If you're alright with it," Makoto followed Sousuke's lead.

When they had left Starbucks, they made their way to the shopping district. They could see their breaths as they walked. Makoto's nose had reverted back to its red state as well.

"Who are you shopping for? Nanase?" Sousuke asked as they walked.

Makoto avoided the crack in the pavement as he replied, "My twin brother and sister actually."

"You have siblings?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"Yeah, well,"

"I'm guessing you don't then."

"Yeah, I'm an only child. I like to think of Gou as a sister though, just because the Matsuoka had been so welcoming when I was younger."

"That's adorable!"

"Shut up. It's not."

Makoto realized in that moment that he was being way too friendly with Sousuke. What did Makoto know about him anyways? Nothing! Why was Sousuke being so friendly with him? It was obvious that he didn't really like Makoto or anyone from Iwatobi.

Interrupting Makoto's thoughts Sousuke spoke again, "Where are we headed from here?"

The two had hit an intersection with stores on all sides. "Just strait for now, I guess."

"Pretty solid plan."

Makoto replied with a weak and distant, "Yeah," looking down at his feet.

"Makoto?"

"Hm? What?"

"Are you on planet earth?"

"Yeah?" He looked back up.

"You were spacing out a bit. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine, sorry to worry you."

"Don't apologize."

"I'm-"

"No,"

"Okay," Makoto gave up.

"What are their names?"

"Names? Who?"

"Your siblings? We were just discussing them. Remember?"

"Ran and Ren,"

"Cute names."

"Yeah, they are adorable. They also probably want something from this store," Makoto said, turning into a small toy store with candy in the window display.

Sousuke followed Makoto in the store. They towered so tall over the children that kids steered clear of them. Makoto was able to pick out a few toys including action figures and stuffed dolls. As he walked around the store with Sousuke, he came to one conclusion: he enjoyed being shorter than someone.


	11. Truth or Dare

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 11

There was a knock on Rin's door. Haru was about to get it when Rin pushed Haru back onto the couch and mumbled something that sounded like, "My house, my door, I'll answer."

Opening the door, the little bell jingling, there stood a boy, grey haired, with a little mole under his greyish blue eye. His hair was much longer than Rin remembered, his eyes narrower, and he was overall taller. He was about the same height as Haru, who was just slightly shorter than Rin. It took Rin that second to realize his old roommate was standing at his doorstep. And crying. Nitori was the same old Nitori, no matter how different he looked.

"S-Senpai!" He wailed.

"H-How did you get here?" Rin asked, confused.

"Rin-senpai!" Nitori ignored Rin's question and hugged him.

Rin hugged back, but wouldn't let his question go, "Ai, how did you find my apartment?"

"Nanase-senpai sent me the address and said that you'd like me to come . . . "

"_Haru,_" Rin spat, looking back at the boy that innocently sat on his couch.

"Rin-senpai, I don't mean to impose, but can I come inside? I'm freezing out here," Nitori asked shyly.

Embarrassed because he hadn't already invited him in, Rin quickly apologized and opened the door wide for him. Nitori walked in, took off his shoes and coat.

"Thank you for messaging me," Nitori greeted Haru who only nodded in return.

"Ai, would you like something to drink? Eat?"

"I'll have some water," Nitori scratched his head, disliking their awkward situation.

Rin walked to the kitchen and retrieved a plastic bottle of water from his refrigerator. Handing it to Nitori, the three had no clue what to do. It was so silent, you could hear the tap in the kitchen dripping. After ten minutes of awkward sitting and awkward sipping, something needed to be done.

"Rin, let's do something," Haru muttered.

Nitori excited pitched the idea of truth or dare, immediately regretting it because he realized that it's something only a high school student would mention.

Rin seemed to think otherwise, saying, "Anything's better than whatever's going on now."

Haru nodded in agreement as the boys arranged themselves in a more comfortable position. Haru was on the edge of the couch, Rin taking up the rest of it. Nitori sat on the floor opposite them, leaning on the coffee table to his side.

"Nitori, you can start. You came up with the idea," Rin said, nudging Haru with his feet, almost pushing Haru off the couch.

"Nanase, truth or dare?" He asked stepping out of his comfort zone.

"Dare."

"I dare you to . . . eat something blindfolded. Rin gets to pick what you eat."

A devilish grin appeared on Rin's face as he heard this. Actually kicking Haru off the couch, Rin dragged him to the kitchen. Rin excitedly grabbed a cloth from a drawer in his kitchen and tied it around Haru's head. Looking through the fridge, Rin pulled out a bottle of ketchup and squirted it into a measuring spoon.

"Open wide!" Rin exclaimed, pushing the spoon into Haru's mouth. Cringing at the taste, Haru swallowed it. Nitori laughed and headed back to his spot on the floor. Rin pulled the blindfold off of Haru and put it away. Haru didn't even ask what it was he ate, because he didn't think it mattered.

Getting comfortable on the couch again, Rin announced, "Haru, it's your turn."

"Truth or dare?" He looked to Rin.

"Truth," Rin said.

"What the most awkward thing that happened when you and Nitori shared a room?"

Looking at Nitori with and apologetic _please-forgive-me _look Rin said, "One time when we were studying for finals, Ai had books scattered everywhere."

"Senpai!" Nitori interjects.

"I decided to help him keep organized, and help straighten up his stuff. When I had almost finished clearing his desk . . ."

"Rin-senpai!" Nitori protested.

". . . I found a Doujinshi on his desk. A yaoi one at that. That's how I learned Nitori was gay."

Haru wasn't shocked by this at all. His best friend was gay, so it was a simple fact to accept.

Nitori on the other hand was a little mad at Rin for spilling his secret. "You promised you'd never tell!"

"Suck it up. Truth or dare?"

Nitori being the nervous wreck he was, went with truth as well.

"On a similar note, do you have any crushes?"

"Maybe,"

"Do tell," Rin said, sticking his toes underneath Haru who didn't seem to mind.

"Do I have to?" Nitori pleaded.

"Yes. It's truth or dare, no backing out," Rin replied.

Nitori gulped, "I may have a slight crush on Captain Mikoshiba's brother . . ."

"MOMOTAROU?" Rin laughed, "How did that happen? When I left, you despised him as a roommate."

"It didn't happen at once, just slowly. He would say encouraging things and he was always so positive."

"Do you guys still hang out even though you're in college and he's in high school?" Haru asked.

"I go to a University locally and I live with my parents who live really close to Samezuka. So, yeah, we hang out often. My problem is that he still has a huge crush on senpai's sister," Nitori sighed.

"That bastard better stay away from my sister," Rin sneered.

"It's your turn again." Haru said to Nitori.

"Oh, sorry. Rin, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Rin turned around and adjusted his position so that he was leaning on Haru.

Nitori thought for a moment and then brought out a serious dare. "I dare you to call another one of your old friends. Whether they were on the Samezuka team, or the Iwatobi team. Any of them. Sousuke-senpai, Momo-kun, Tachibana-senpai, Nagisa-kun, any of them."

Haru spoke, "Nagisa and Rei are in America. I wouldn't call them. I don't know what time it is there."

"I bet Sousuke-senpai would love to hear from you!" Nitori yelled.

"I can't call Sousuke. There's no way. I guess I'll call Makoto. Haru, can I borrow your phone? Mine's in my room and I'm too lazy to get it."

Haru answered by handing Rin the phone, Rin's back still pressed against Haru's shoulder.

"How do I get to your contacts?"

"Give it," Haru held his hand out. Haru quickly found Makoto's name and pressed on it. "Here," Haru handed the phone back.

Rin waited for Makoto to answer his phone, Haru and Nitori waiting with anticipation.

"Hello?" A voice answered.

"Makoto?" Rin called into the phone.

"Listen, Nanase, Makoto's in the bathroom. I can have him call you back when he gets out?"

"Wait, if this isn't Makoto, who is this?" Rin asked, sitting upwards. Haru and Nitori exchanged looks of confusion.

"Oh, sorry. This is Yamazaki Sousuke."

"SOUSUKE?" Rin screamed, almost dropping the phone.

Sousuke recognized the yelling voice on the other line as someone who definitely was _not _Haruka Nanase. "Rin?" He blinked, standing up from his position on Makoto's bed, their school papers flying everywhere.

"Sousuke, I-" Rin started.

"You what? You hit another wall? Just like Australia? You didn't care to call, write, text. I hear you didn't even talk to Nanase until you were forced to go to the same school. That's a load of bullshit."

"I meant to-"

"If you meant to for two years, don't you think it would have happened by now."

"It's only really been a year. . ."

"Am I exaggerating too fucking much? Well, oh well. When you're abandoned by your best friend _twice _I start to not give a shit. Sorry."

"Sousuke, please."

"Bye, Matsuoka."

Sousuke had hung up the phone. Rin had tears running down his face. Haru and Nitori didn't know what to do. And Makoto, he was still in the bathroom.

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><p><em>Chapter 11 is up and things got really awkward. Anyways, thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments if you would rather I post longer updates less frequently, or keep them the length they are. Thanks! Sorry for being late on updates again, crazy busy with school, work, and other ficsoriginals.  
>-Lavi<em>


	12. When Everything Goes Wrong

Beta credit goes to ameranthus13

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><p>It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes<p>

Chapter 12

Sousuke was pissed. Rin was calling Makoto. No, Sousuke wasn't pissed, he was jealous. Jealous that Rin, after hitting another wall, chose Sousuke to be the last one contacted. Even then, what if Rin never contacted him? What if Rin had planned to never talk to Sousuke again? Well, there goes that plan. Sousuke was just furious.

"What happened?" Makoto said as he walked into his own bedroom to see Sousuke standing up with Makoto's phone in his hand. "I heard some yelling or something."

"I-I answered your phone for you," Sousuke's voice was shaking with a mixture of anger and jealousy.

"Who was it?" Makoto asked calmly, hoping that Sousuke would elaborate.

Sousuke grunted and mumbled something, but didn't answer. He took a few steps forward, handed Makoto his phone back, and brushed by him.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Makoto spun around and followed Sousuke down the hall.

"It was nothing!" Sousuke barked back at Makoto and headed towards the front door, passing doors to his left and right. Once he had grabbed his coat, Makoto had caught up to him. "We'll have to finish another time, I'm in a real piss-ass mood now."

"Yamazaki, who called?" Calm and collected words were stunningly different to Sousuke's loud and furious tone.

Sousuke was breathing hard, "I've gotta go Tachibana. I'll call you later and we can finish it up."

"Oh, okay-" the door shut, cutting Makoto off mid-thought.

It was really late at night now, Makoto and Sousuke had spent almost the whole day together. Kisumi was still not home, Sousuke just stormed out, and Makoto was clueless to who might have called him and angered his lit partner. He quickly searched through the phone that was in his hand for the recent calls.

"It was Haru?" he whispered in observation. The dial tone was lonely and Makoto was left with two options. He could call Haru back, or he could call Sousuke and demand to know why he got so angry. He finally decided knowing that Sousuke would immediately reject the call once he knew who it was. Once he began calling, the dial tone was starting to give him a headache, and suddenly he was worried that it might have been his fault, something _he _did.

"Haru?" Makoto said into the phone.

"Hey," it was a cool reply that could only belong to Haru.

"Did you call me? Sorry, I was in the bathroom."

There was no answer. Makoto breathed into the phone, waiting for a reply, and called hello when there was none. What called back though, was not Haru.

"Makoto? It's Rin."

"Rin?!" Makoto gasped.

"I tried calling, but Sousuke picked up, and I fucked up. You have to help me out here."

"That's what happened?! Thank Kami," Makoto sighed.

Rin got angry with this, "Thank Kami? Well, fuck you, Makoto." Becoming irritated quickly

"No," Makoto protested, "I-I didn't mean it like that, sorry. I just thought it was something I had done."

"Can I talk to him? Will he talk to me?"

"He left. Abruptly, might I add. We were right in the middle of our lit project."

"Shit!" Rin cursed. Rin Matsuoka's apartment was dark, barely enough lights were in the room to keep it well-lit. Rin felt like shit, Nitori felt guilty because it was his dare that got them in this mess, and even Haru felt bad for Rin. Even Haru and Sousuke were on better terms with each other. The two had made up after Sousuke's last race, where Sousuke admitted he was just jealous because Rin picked them over him. He had said that was the only reason he fought with Haru near the vending machines or when they were in middle school.

"Rin?" Makoto called, "It's nice to hear your voice again," he said, changing the subject.

Rin sniffed, "Yours too. H-How are you?" Rin barely got the words out, torn apart by what happened with Sousuke.

"I'm good!" Rin could hear Makoto smile through the phone.

"And Sousuke?"

Makoto giggled, "I guess not that good now."

Rin knew that Makoto and Sousuke were attending the same school, and the only reason he knew was because his sister, Gou, had texted him telling him so. She thought it was pretty funny.

"Are you guys close friends?"

"You know, maybe you would know the answer if you had called Yamazaki sometime. He was really upset about it today when I mentioned your name."

Hearing Makoto say _Yamazaki _was a dead giveaway that they hadn't become close friends. Rin didn't know what to say anymore, he had no excuses.

Makoto spoke again, pacing around his own apartment, "Why didn't you call?"

"Because. I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"You didn't want to?" Makoto sat down on a chair in his kitchen.

"I wanted to so badly some nights. But I couldn't."

"_Rin, _why?"

At this point, Haru and Nitori were on the edge of their seats (well, they hadn't physically moved at all) completely absorbed in hearing a single side of the conversation. Haru could imagine what Makoto was saying, only because he knew Makoto so well; Nitori, on the other hand, was completely lost.

"I was in a bad place. I didn't want to drag the people I cared about the most into it," Rin finally confessed.

"If you had told us, we could have helped you get out. Why did you have to take on such a burden?"

"Because, it's my burden," Rin fiddled with the gold ring on his finger.

"Rin, we all suffered because you wanted to solve all your problems. Did it work? How could it have? You switched schools, probably lost contact with all the friends you made at your last school," Makoto was slightly getting angry, but his voice was still soothing and calm.

"I fucked up, okay? Nothing worked out. I'm fine now, and your lives are better without me."

"That's not true. We miss you; _I _miss you. Yamazaki misses you. I like to have you know that I never see Yamazaki hanging out with people the way you two did. He seems lonely."

"Fuck," was all Rin could say.

There was a knock on Makoto's door. Makoto's head shot up in confusion.

"There's someone at the door. I'm going to have to let you go. It might be Sousuke. I'll talk to him, and I'll call you back. Do you still have the same number?" Makoto stood up and took careful steps out of the kitchen and into the hall.

Rin nodded and realized Makoto couldn't see the nod before replying a, "Yeah. Bye."

Hanging up, Rin looked at his guest with swollen eyes and a huge headache. He laid his head on Haru's lap, too lazy to ask Haru to move from his spot on the couch.

"I'm sorry, Senpai, it was my fault . . ." Nitori began. Before they realized it, Rin was asleep, Nitori was babbling with how sorry he was, and Haru was thinking about something completely different like work and his swim schedule for the rest of the week.

It was really late at night, too late for any packages or pamphlets that might be floating around the streets. As Makoto touched the door handle, there was no doubt in his mind that it was Sousuke, probably to retrieve something he had forgotten. That's why Makoto was so shocked to see pink hair and purple eyes in the doorframe revealed by the now open door.

"Kisumi?!"


	13. Kissing in a Sea of Questions

_Beta credit goes to Ameranthus13_

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><p>It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes<p>

Chapter 13

"Kisumi?"

The boy shuffled his feet as he stood outside the door. He was looking down at the ground and didn't dare to look anywhere else as he spoke, "I, uh, lost my keys."

Makoto motioned for his roommate to come in. Kisumi's legs were slightly shaking as he walked in, still looking downwards and avoiding eye contact.

"Kisumi, are you okay? Where did you go?"

"I went to the library," Kisumi mumbled, turning away from Makoto completely.

"What were you doing? Why didn't you leave a note?" Makoto walked up to Kisumi, concerned.

Purple eyes similar to a puppy eventually found Makoto's. "C-can I have a hug?" Kisumi pleaded.

"Of course," Makoto said confused at Kisumi's strange request. Kisumi jumped up and down, wrapping his long arms around Makoto's waist, and didn't let go. He stayed there for as long as he could, Makoto eventually had to pry himself out of Kisumi's grasp. Kisumi was saddened when Makoto's warmth had left.

Makoto looked at his friend with concern, "Can I ask what that was about?"

"No. Can we watch a movie? I bought_ The Snow White Murder Case _a couple of days ago."

"It's too late to watch a movie," Makoto protested, but the other boy tugged on his arm and begged.

"I came home and found_ you _watching movies late the other day, c'mon pleeeease?"

"Fine," Makoto huffed.

Kisumi, still holding Makoto's flannel's sleeve, dragged Makoto to the couch and put the movie in the DVD player.

Before he sat down he asked, "Should I make popcorn?"

"Nah, I'm good. Only if you want some."

Kisumi shook his head and plopped down on the couch as close to Makoto as he could get. Makoto was about to move a little farther away, but saw the excited expression on Kisumi's face and deiced to stay.

Every minute that passed by, Kisumi snuggled up to Makoto. Makoto wasn't really feeling comfortable, but he suspected something had happened to Kisumi earlier and decided he'd suck it up, but Kisumi on the other hand was thrilled to snuggle right next to Makoto, and under the same blanket.

"Mako?" Kisumi looked up. The movie was half over and Makoto looked like he had fallen asleep. He _looked _like he had fallen asleep because he had. When he didn't answer, Kisumi adjusted himself so that he was underneath one of Makoto's arms, pressing his head against Makoto's chest. Closing his eyes, he hoped to savor the moment, but ended up dozing off himself. He woke up ten minutes later as Makoto was repositioning them.

"Mako?" Kisumi mumbled, only one eye open.

Makoto instantly felt guilty for waking up Kisumi. Apologizing, he offered, "I was thinking about making popcorn, did you want some?"

"I can make it. No offense but you don't know how to make popcorn." Kisumi groggily slurred. Makoto nodded and moved out of Kisumi's way. He also began rewinding the movie, both of them had missed a good chunk. When he had finally rewinded to a part he recognized, he suddenly heard a loud crash from behind him, in the kitchen. He rushed to the noise as fast as he could to see Kisumi on the floor. Makoto ran to Kisumi who was out cold. He began to panic and carried Kisumi to his room.

Makoto hadn't been in Kisumi's room very often, but there wasn't much to it; it was plain and simple. There was a bed and a nightstand, and all of his clothes residing in a closet on the opposite side of the room. There were a couple of basketball posters on the wall, and a picture frame with Kisumi's brother Hayato in it.

Makoto set Kisumi down on his bed and felt his forehead to see if he had a fever. Although he didn't feel too hot, Makoto was going to check again when he woke up. Makoto then began to pull blankets over Kisumi and debated on whether or not to call an ambulance. His first guess was that Kisumi fainted because he was tired, nothing he would need to see a doctor for. Kisumi wasn't fond of doctors, from what Makoto knew, and didn't want to force him into a position he didn't want to be in.

Pulling a chair up to the side of Kisumi's bed, Makoto sat and waited for Kisumi to wake up. After twenty minutes, he fixed the blankets and got up, intending just to use the bathroom.

"Mako . . ." A weak voice called out, reaching a shaking had out to stop Makoto, "Don't leave . . ."

Quickly dropping to his knees and placing the back of his hand on Kisumi's forehead he asked worriedly, "Are you okay? Do you feel hot? Can I get you something?"

Kisumi nodded and motioned for Makoto to come closer with his finger. Makoto obeyed and shuffled his knees closer. Kisumi then moved his head forward and pushed his lips against Makoto's. Makoto's eyes shot wide open, not an ounce of himself asleep anymore, yet, he couldn't move an inch due to the shock. Kisumi on the other hand, was half asleep and melting into the one sided kiss. It was a desperate kiss, lasting a second too much for Makoto and a second too short for himself. Both of them were speechless, Makoto because he was too surprised to speak and Kisumi because he was too tired to speak.

After a few minutes of pure silence, Makoto finally croaked, "What- what was that?"

Kisumi finally realized what he had done and his smile faded, "I'm sorry, Mako, I-"

"No, it's okay. You were still asleep, right?" Makoto smiled.

Disappointment flooded Kisumi's voice, "Yeah. That must have been why . . ."

"You don't need to go to the hospital, right?"

"You sound like my mother. I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

Makoto stood up, "Let me know if you need something. I'm going to go turn the lights off and go to bed."

"I need another hug."

Makoto answered by holding his arms out that was an invitation well accepted by Kisumi. Kisumi dug his face into Makoto's chest like he always did. Before leaving, Makoto kissed Kisumi's forehead and whispered, "Get better dummy."

When Makoto had left and the door to his bedroom had shut, Kisumi grew the biggest, goofiest grin ever.

Whispering, too soft for even a cat to hear, Kisumi replied, "I love you, Makoto."

"I should probably get going," Nitori remarked.

"You can stay overnight here, don't drive home in this shitty snowing weather." Rin was still in a bad mood from the phone call he had with Sousuke earlier. He had just woken up from an hour nap about ten minutes prior and was currently sipping on a cup of steaming hot coffee. "Haru, you stay too." It wasn't an invitation it was an order.

"Senpai, I don't want to impose or anything!"

"Shut up and follow me, I'll show you to the bed you can use." Rin beckoned for Nitori to follow and walked all the way to the end of the hall. Rin opened the door to his own room and lied to Nitori by saying, "This is my guest bedroom. Make yourself at home."

Rin left the room to Nitori, and closed the door behind him.

When he returned to the living room, Haru looked at him with questioning but still distant eyes, "Why did you lie to Nitori? Where are you going to sleep?"

"You are going to sleep on the couch, and I am going to pretend this floor is comfortable," Rin pulled blankets and pillows out of a closet nearby.

"Rin, no."

"I can't have my guest on the floor!" Rin struggled as he put the last pillowcase on the last pillow.

"Let's share then," Haru refused to give up.

"That's ridiculous!" Rin threw a pillow at Haru.

Catching the pillow, Haru added, "It's not. I don't care."

Rin wasn't about to say yes. It would have been selfish of him to do so. He began setting blankets and pillows on the ground, but Haru walked over and began to pick them all up.

"Rin, don't," Haru called. Rin lied down on the cold floor without any blankets or pillows, hoping to win Haru over. He hoped that Haru would see how perfectly fine he was on the floor and would just go to sleep on the couch. What really happened, was that Haru lied down next to Rin on the cold floor, tossing the blankets on top of Rin.

Once Rin's head surfaced from the sea of blankets, he noticed Haru next to him and sighed, "For fuck's sake, get to the couch, Nanase. We can share."

Haru's face lit up as the two stood up and walked to the couch. Haru laid down first, and Rin followed, his head facing the opposite direction. Haru's face was close to Rin's feet, which didn't seem to bother him. It was cramped on the couch, they even shared a large blanket because it wasn't big enough for two.

A half hour later, Haru got up and used the restroom. When he came back, he didn't return to their old position. Haru decided he would lay down the same way Rin was. He was on the edge of the couch now, trying to fall asleep. Rin, who was still awake, was worried that Haru might fall off, so, he wrapped his free arm around Haru. Rin's knees were pressed into the back of Haru's, and Rin could smell the chlorine lingering in Haru's hair. Haru could feel Rin's staggered breaths on the back of his head and found it comforting. The two fell fast asleep in that position, the rest of the night uninterrupted.

Rin woke up first, and noticed Haru was still fast asleep. Rin didn't want Nitori to walk in and see their awkward position, so Rin pried Haru off of his left arm with his right arm and snuck off the couch. His feet landing on the floor softly, he made his way to the kitchen and made coffee.

Nitori walked out into the kitchen that morning with his long grey hair a mess. Rin smiled and handed him a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Sleepy-head. Your hair's a mess," Rin ruffled Nitori's hair.

"Stop, Senpai!"

Rin put a finger up to his mouth, "Shhh, Haru's still asleep on the couch."

"Sorry!" Nitori flinched, "Should I get home now?"

"I don't mind if you stay, but if you've got stuff to do, I don't want to make you stay any longer."

"I guess I really do need to get going. I told my parents I'd be home as soon as possible, and it stopped snowing. Thank you so much for letting me stay the night. I really hope we can keep in touch from now on, Senpai!"

Rin put his hand on Nitori's head and ruffled his hair again like he did before, "Of course. I promise, okay?"

Nitori nodded with a smile.

"Need help with your stuff at all?"

"No, thanks," Nitori waved goodbye. He put his coat on and disappeared out the door.

Now feeling alone, Rin went to check on Haru. His sharp teeth were smiling as he saw dark hair and tan skin sprawled out over his old, beaten up couch. His smile faded when he froze and thought about what just happened to him. _What the fuck am I doing? _He thought, _Why am I? What made me . . . ?_

Haru woke up slowly, processing where he was. When he finally put the pieces of the puzzle together, he called out Rin's name.

"Haru?" Rin dashed over to the couch, thinking that there might actually be trouble.

"Rin, help me. I can't feel my legs. They tingle. Like little needles."

Rin sighed, "Alright, big boy. Upsy daisy." Grabbing Haru's limp arms, he hoisted him up and laughed, "Let's get you some coffee, lazy." The two trotted to the kitchen hand in hand, Rin leading the way.

* * *

><p><em>I promise this is a SouMako story, despite the KisuMako moments. Please stay with me and you will be rewarded. I hope you enjoyed the fluff!<br>-Lavi_


	14. Ho Ho Holiday Parties

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 14

Finals were over. Christmas was upon them.

"Onii-chan! Please help me with these!" Gou called from the kitchen of the Matsuoka home that smelled like freshly baked cookies and peppermint. This was Rin's first day back in his old home since the previous summer.

Rin got off his lazy ass and wandered into the kitchen where Gou was dolled up, her long maroon hair in a bun and an apron fastened around her waist, making cookies.

"Can you get that batch out of the oven? The timer's about to ring," she rolled another ball of cookie dough and placed it on the cookie sheet.

Rin walked over to the oven and removed the hot tray of cookies, "Where do you want them?"

"On the top of the stove is fine. I can take care of them," Gou frantically pressed her thumb into the dough balls. Rin snuck up from behind and tickled Gou's side.

"Stop!" she complained while giggling, "Make yourself useful and help me make these thumbprints!" She pried her brother's arms away and hit him upside the shoulder.

"Why are you even making this many cookies?" Rin questioned, snatching a cookie from the cooling rack and eating it.

"We're going to the Christmas Party at the Tachibana's," Gou stated as she slapped Rin's hand away from the rest of the cookies.

"What?! Really? Why can't you just go? I'll just stay home with mom."

"You're coming. He's your friend, and he's worried about you."

"Gouuuu," Rin pleaded, "I've got to do stuff with mom."

"I already talked to mom, she has plans already. That being said, you're my ride," Gou put in the last batch of cookies. Removing her apron, she added, "No backing out. We're also brining Nitori and Hana-chan."

"Fine," Rin moaned, fixing the hairtie in his long straggly red hair.

"Makoto, sweetie, would you check downstairs to make sure everything is set up? I know you kids will be down there," Makoto's mother had a warm and caring voice.

"You promise the twins won't come down there when everyone is here?"

"Don't worry. All the little ones will be up here, playing games and watching movies."

Makoto and his mother were preparing for their annual Christmas party. They were hanging lights and making food to serve a million. It was the same every year. The adults mingled throughout the house, mostly the kitchen, and the little children always played in the living room. Makoto always hosted his friends in their basement. It felt different now that Makoto was older though.

"Makoto, honey, please just promise me that no minors will be drinking, and that you won't get into too much trouble. Please remember that us adults are still up here."

That's right. Makoto was of legal drinking age now. The thought made him feel uneasy. He, Haru, Rin and Sousuke could drink, or do anything adults could for that matter. He didn't feel like an adult; in fact, he still felt like a child.

All that aside, he nodded and trotted down the stairs to his basement. It was dark; the lights always took a while to heat up before anything was visible. There were two large rooms and a bathroom down there. The farthest room had a tan couch and a TV, a grey carpet and blue walls. The closer room had a ton of chairs and a coffee table, some strange artwork hung on the walls. He got a text then, his phone vibrating from the table he had set it on.

_can i come over early?_

Makoto read the text from Haru and sighed.

_I'll ask my mom. I bet she'll say yes. _

Makoto hurried back up the tedious stairs and called for his mother.

"Sure!" She replied, "Haruka is practically family."

"Thanks mom, I'll let him know. Everything seems alright downstairs except for the food. When do you want me to start getting the food ready?"

"I'll get the food, you just enjoy your time home and entertain your friend," she smiled warmly as she returned to her preparations.

"Okay, let me know if you need help," Makoto offered. He texted Haru who arrived within the next fifteen minutes. Their houses were not far from each other at all, which Makoto missed. He wished he could see his best friend everyday like he could when he was in high school.

Haru stood in the Tachibana doorway with his winter coat on and his always blank stare. Makoto greeted him with a hug, exclaiming how much he missed him.

"Haru-chan, how have you been? Have your parents gotten home yet?" Makoto asked, ushering Haru inside.

Haru shook his head and helped himself downstairs. He was so accustomed to Makoto's house, that he knew it almost better than his own. He didn't like to admit it, but Haru didn't like being home alone. Any chance he could get, he'd go to Makoto or any other one of his friend's houses. Makoto had a feeling that's why he decided to come early, but didn't want to ask.

"Nagisa! We have to keep going or we'll be late," Rei moaned, tired of his boyfriend's shenanigans.

"But Rei-chaaan, we just got back to Japan! I want to go to the market," the blonde whined.

"We can't fill up now, there will be tons of food at the party," Rei stroked Nagisa's hair.

Nagisa frowned but nodded and hugged Rei. He always calmed down when Rei ran his fingers through his hair.

The two sat in the back of a taxi cab on their way home to Iwatobi. Nagisa was so tired from their long flight he was falling asleep on Rei. Rei was also tired, but was so hyped up on coffee, he thought he could stay awake for days.

"We're almost there," Rei whispered, softly kissing Nagisa's hair.

Makoto opened the door to find a redhead and a smaller ginger with a wide grin.

"Welcome, everyone's down stairs," Makoto smiled the Mikoshiba brothers. It was his mother's idea to invite them. Makoto got to know Seijuro fairly well through the meeting where they scheduled joint practice.

Rin and Gou showed up next, bringing Nitori and Chigusa qalong with them. Makoto was a little surprised to see Rin, but gave him a smile and welcomed him. Rei and Nagisa showed up after that, obviously tired, but put on their best faces and were glad to be home in Japan. The last to show up, was Sousuke.

"Hello?" Makoto quizzically opened the door, wondering who it could be. He was pleasantly surprised by his new, tall, college friend. "Yamazaki? What brings you here?"

"You, uh, invited me,' Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck, "Should I not have come?"

"No, no, no," Makoto said frantically, "I'm so glad you came! Come in!"

Sousuke took a step inside the warm house, filled with Christmas aromas. "You have a beautiful home," he started as he looked around, "Who else is here?"

Makoto frowned as he remembered Sousuke's fight with Rin. "Yamazaki, I don't want to put you in an awkward situation, but . . . Rin is here." Before Sousuke could say anything, he added, "But, in my defense, I didn't think you would come. I'm sorry."

Sousuke sighed, "It's not your fault. He's more of a friend to you than me. It's going to take more than him to scare me away. If that's okay, of course."

Makoto's face lit up, and he dragged Sousuke downstairs where the rest of their friends were. When the two got down there, they were met with a familiar game. One that reeked of high school idiocy.

_Spin the bottle._


End file.
